Volcano's veggie sushi lunch explodes with flavor

Vegetarian lunch specials are special indeed, because while restaurants around town offer meaty specials at the noon hour, vegetarian specials are usually only offered at vegetarian restaurants. Volcano is an unexpected exception to that rule. It's one of a growing number of non-chain restaurants in the southeast Denver area, prime real estate for office workers seeking...lunch specials.

The busy orange-and-green sign outside Volcano belies the clean, bright interior, which had miniature versions of business meetings -- business meetings with delicious food -- taking place at each of the tables.

The sushi lunch combo is available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features a variety of fish-based options, as well as a delicious vegetarian combination that includes a veggie combo roll (asparagus, cucumber, avocado and carrot) and a sweet-potato tempura roll. It's plenty for one person, especially because you get a soup or salad with the combo. Veggie-friendly soups include hot-and-sour and egg-drop, both of which contain egg; the miso soup is vegan.

You get a sizable bowl of the miso, too, filled with warm and salty broth studded with chunks of silken tofu and squares of seaweed.